3.3 Age

The median age of Maltese in Australia is 42.7 Years for males and 41.9 years for females (42.3 years overall), compared to the Australian median of 26.5 for males, 28.5 years for females, and 27.5 years overall. The age distribution of Maltese is shown in fig 3.2.

The median age varies quite markedly in different ethnic groups in Australia from a high of 57.4 years for Polish to less than 30 years for the recent Asian migrants (e.g. Vietnamese, 26.2 years). What distinguishes the Maltese from most other ethnic groups is the relatively small proportion of persons under 15 years of age - This group constitutes less than 2% of the total population. While this is typical of European migrants in general, it compares unfavourably with the, average Australian population (27.9%), or the average Asian population (13.20/o), and confirms the fact that migration of young families from Malta has all but ceased in the last decade.

Fig 3.2 - Proportion of males and females of the Maltese population in Australia. (Source - 1986 Census.)

Source: Maurice N. Cauchi - Maltese Migrants in Australia, Malta 1990

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